Chapter 149: If I See You Again, I'll Beat You Up Again

Long Fei and Ye Qian returned to their room to take a shower, and after resting for just a short while, night had already fallen.

Long Fei was still planning to have dinner at the restaurant, but when the food arrived, he only took a small bite of each dish and then looked at Ye Qian with a strange smile as she busied herself eating. To be fair, after shopping all afternoon, Ye Qian was indeed starving. However, after devouring her food like a wolf for a short while, she noticed that Long Fei's smile looked somewhat unusual.

"Hey, what are you smiling at? How can you smile so insidiously?" Ye Qian asked with her mouth still full of food. Once this girl got hungry, she completely abandoned her table manners, though fortunately, there weren't many people in the restaurant.

Long Fei chuckled and said, "A smile keeps you young, right? Smiling more is always a good thing."

"No way, are you plotting against me again? What kind of crooked ideas are you cooking up?" Ye Qian asked suspiciously.

"Of course not, I was just smiling casually. Eat up, hurry up and eat. Once you're done, I'll take you to the Chang'an Club across the street," Long Fei said with a smile.

Filled with joy, Ye Qian brushed aside Long Fei's suspicious smile and asked perplexedly, "Why aren't you eating? Aren't you hungry?"

Long Fei was stunned for a moment. "Who said I'm not hungry? I'm more than a little hungry. But we're going to eat again in a bit anyway, so I just wanted to pad my stomach a little first."

"Where are we going to eat?" Ye Qian asked, equally surprised.

Long Fei pointed across Chang'an Avenue toward the Chang'an Club and smiled. "The Chang'an Club, of course. I happen to know they have a Chinese restaurant inside, and the head chef's culinary skills are truly top-notch—on par with mine, haha."

Ye Qian's eyes lit up. She quickly put down her chopsticks and glared at Long Fei with a resentful and aggrieved look. If there hadn't been a waiter nearby, she would have wanted to spit out the food in her mouth.

"You did this on purpose! You knew there was good food and didn't want me to eat it," Ye Qian said, glaring at Long Fei with a childish temper and evident dissatisfaction.

"No way. I just saw how fiercely you were eating and was afraid you'd make a fool of yourself like this over there too, so I wanted to let you fill up here first to save us both from embarrassment later," Long Fei said with a completely straight face.

"You?" Ye Qian said angrily, "I'm not eating anymore."

"Are you full?" Long Fei asked with a smile.

"Not full, but since there'll be food later anyway, I won't let your evil plot succeed. Hmph, I still need to save some room in my stomach to taste the delicacies over there." Ye Qian rolled her eyes and suddenly smiled. In truth, she was fuming inside, but visiting the Chang'an Club had always been her dream. In the past, Bai Yaowu had frequently invited her there, but she had never graced him with her presence. Now that she had the opportunity to go along with Long Fei, she certainly didn't dare to offend him. She figured that someone as base, despicable, and shameless as Long Fei might actually leave her behind if she pushed him too far. No matter how nicely he was talking now, he was entirely capable of doing it.

Although Ye Qian managed a smile, Long Fei felt no sense of accomplishment. After being tricked by Ye Qian that afternoon and losing face in the lingerie store, he had wanted to irritate her in return, but since his plan hadn't worked out, he naturally felt a bit sullen. Still, thinking that there would surely be more fun to be found once they arrived at the Chang'an Club, he let the matter go.

The two settled their bill and headed out, where Gouzi and Tieniu were already waiting outside the restaurant.

Situated on Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, the ten-story Chang'an Building was built in the mid-1990s. It was adjacent to the Ministry of State Security and not far from Tiananmen Square, while facing the world-renowned Beijing Hotel and the VIP Building across the street.

As the capital of China, Beijing at night was a dazzling spectacle of lights. The two pavilions outside the Chang'an Building formed a striking and exceptionally pretty contrast with the traditional archway of the VIP Building across the street. The front of the Chang'an Building featured a glass curtain wall, topped with the gleaming golden characters "Chang'an Club." The calligraphy was indeed the work of a master, and the expensive colored lights adorning the large characters shimmered with grandeur and prestige.

The club's guiding philosophy was to provide a noble, elegant environment and flawless, personalized service, making it the premier choice for renowned domestic and international entrepreneurs and elites to host guests and conduct business banquets. Adjacent to the Forbidden City and separated from the Chinese government by merely a wall, its exceptional geographical location made it a favored venue for banquets and meetings among celebrities, entrepreneurs, and an increasing number of foreign diplomats.

Of course, the club had originally lived up to this description. Upon its establishment, it quickly became China's top-tier club. Later on, however, due to the covert involvement of descendants of high-ranking officials—the *taiziye*—entry gradually became restricted. Aside from a few businessmen with special backgrounds, simply having money was no longer enough to gain admission. The club began to serve as a platform for these privileged youths to recruit talent and gather influence; or rather, it had transformed into an open stronghold secretly controlled by them, functioning as a regular gathering place for their clique.

Because the Chang'an Club was right across the street, the four of them didn't take a car. They simply crossed the road and headed straight toward the Chang'an Building, only to be stopped by security guards right at the outer pavilion.

Among the four, Long Fei was reasonably handsome, and Ye Qian was naturally a beauty, but Tieniu and Gouzi had striking appearances that stood out starkly. The huge contrast between the two made them extremely conspicuous. Moreover, the security guards found them entirely unfamiliar and assumed Long Fei must have come to the wrong place.

Two guards blocked their path. In their view, everyone who came to the Chang'an Club arrived in luxury cars, mostly with extremely prestigious license plates. How could anyone be like Long Fei, showing up with four people empty-handed and walking on their own two feet to visit the club?

It wasn't that driving was strictly mandatory to enter, but walking simply lacked any semblance of status.

"Where are you headed?" The guards didn't lose their temper, maintaining the decent attitude typical of people in the capital. Fresh off the Olympics, the overall civility of the populace had indeed improved—though Long Fei couldn't help thinking they still suffered from looking down on people.

Before Long Fei could speak, Gouzi let out an insidious chuckle and said to Tieniu, "Tieniu, tell them where we're going."

Tieniu stepped forward obediently, offered a simple-minded grin, and said, "We're going to the Chang'an Club to have some fun."

Tieniu's massive frame startled one of the guards into taking a step back. Looking up at Tieniu, the guard frowned and asked, "Does anyone have an appointment with you?"

Tieniu shook his head and kept his honest smile. "No."

Truly none.

"Then are you members here?" The guard didn't dare to push someone like Tieniu too far. Although the Chang'an Club had powerful figures backing it from the shadows, instances of people trying to force their way in had occurred before. While the intoxicated fools who tried usually met a miserable end, some guards had also been injured during conflicts. He had no desire to become the unlucky one. Although he knew a few martial arts moves, standing next to a mountain of a man like Tieniu made him feel somewhat uneasy, especially when he caught Gouzi smirking nearby. Sensing that this group might be troublesome, he maintained a polite demeanor while signaling his partner with a glance. His partner caught on quickly and signaled several other guards stationed in the kiosk. Immediately, a number of guards swarmed over.

Tieniu shook his head again with that same naive smile.

"Then I'm sorry, the Chang'an Club is only open to members, or those accompanied by members. Still, I suggest you just leave and don't try to go further. Without a membership card, even if you managed to slip past us here, you won't get inside the club itself." Seeing his backup arrive, the guard raised his voice slightly.

"That's right! Do you think this is some ordinary place anyone can waltz into? Hurry up and get lost, or we'll throw you out." The attitude of another tall guard wasn't nearly as pleasant. He seemed to derive a sense of superiority from guarding the door; usually accustomed to bowing and scraping to incoming guests, he seized the rare opportunity presented by these strangers to put on airs.

Long Fei frowned. He had actually already taken out his membership card, but he chose not to produce it immediately. He said to Tieniu, "Tieniu, this guard seems a bit full of himself. Give him a slap across the face and teach him not to judge people by their covers."

Tieniu was utterly obedient. He acknowledged the order and immediately prepared to act, though before striking, he didn't forget to offer a dopey smile: "Brother Fei told me to beat you up, so I have to beat you up."

Upon hearing this, the tall guard puffed up his chest. In their eyes, Long Fei and his companions must have had the guts of a bear and the gall of a leopard to attempt forcing their way into the Chang'an Club while completely sober. That could only mean they were either absolute idiots or lunatics with no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth. Such people didn't frighten them; if they beat them half to death, the club's people would help smooth things over. Besides, the club manager had already instructed them to show utmost respect to members, but to deal ruthlessly with troublemakers or the clueless.

"Oh ho, still trying to force your way in?" Though intimidated by Tieniu's physique, the tall guard gained courage from the electric baton in his hand and the flock of colleagues beside him. Refusing to back down, he squeezed to the front and raised his baton to strike first.

With a loud *bang*, the guard flew straight backward. His face swelled up instantly, and his two front teeth disappeared into who-knows-where. In any case, he let out a miserable scream and passed out cold on the spot.

This escalation caught everyone off guard. Before the remaining guards even registered what had happened, Tieniu had already knocked out one of their comrades. Unacceptable! Someone immediately reached for a walkie-talkie to report to the interior of the club, while the rest raised their batons and swarmed toward Tieniu.

"Brother Fei, let me have some fun," Gouzi said, squeezing past Tieniu with a chuckle.

Figuring that since he had come to Beijing to stir up some waves anyway, Long Fei simply nodded and stood to the side with Ye Qian to watch the show.

"Hey, won't this be a problem? You have a membership card, so why force your way in?" Ye Qian frowned. She had no wish to see her plans for the evening ruined. Deeply yearning to visit the Chang'an Club, she felt a twinge of worry for Long Fei. This wasn't Tianhai; if something went wrong here, she wouldn't be able to handle the fallout. Under the emperor's feet, the *taiziye* were notoriously arrogant.

Yet, at the same time, Ye Qian felt an inexplicable thrill. After all, a fight was brewing, and watching Long Fei fight was her favorite pastimes. Moreover, she hadn't even caught how Tieniu delivered that slap earlier, which left her full of admiration for Long Fei's burly subordinate. Seeing the smaller man, Gouzi, eagerly stepping up to fight as well only piqued her curiosity further. She wanted to see what special skills this guy—who was clearly outmatched in size by the opposing guards—actually possessed. Still, judging by Gouzi's expression, she knew he wouldn't come out on the losing end.

Tieniu stepped back and offered an honest smile to the guards opposite him, wearing that same cheerful expression no matter the situation.

Gouzi moved with lightning speed, dropping one guard to the ground with a single punch. The guard was knocked out cold on the spot. Though no external wounds were visible, several of his ribs were undoubtedly broken, as a distinct snapping sound could be heard when he hit the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Gouzi snatched the high-voltage stun baton from the fallen guard's hand. Flipping the switch, he thrust it toward the nearest guard. Sparks crackled at the tip of the baton, and a ten-thousand-volt current instantly dropped the man, causing him to shrink into a trembling ball. Not stopping there, Gouzi kicked another guard flying while simultaneously jabbing the stun baton back toward the first groveling guard. Without even a cry, white foam bubbled from the guard's mouth as he lapsed into immediate anaphylactic shock.

The three remaining guards, seeing how ferocious Gouzi was, dared not approach and kept backing away, standing at a distance while fearing that Long Fei's group might leave. Looking somewhat bored, Gouzi waved a hand and taunted, "Come on over. Let's keep playing."

Seeing that none of the guards dared to close in, Gouzi simply tossed the stun baton onto the ground and chuckled, "There, happy now? Come on, I won't use that thing anymore. Come at me."

The scene was somewhat comical: a small-staggered man stood empty-handed, actively provoking an opponent, while three large men clutching weapons shrank back in terror and refused to approach.

At that moment, a rapid series of footsteps echoed as a group of uniformed men came running from the direction of the Chang'an Club. Long Fei nodded inwardly. These fellows were clearly responsible for the building's internal security, and judging by their stride, they were undoubtedly veterans of regular special forces—far superior to the gate guards outside.

The man in the lead wiped the sweat from his brow while maintaining his composure, ordering three guards to immediately send their wounded comrades to the hospital. He then turned around, frowned, and asked Gouzi, "Hey, mister, why did you beat up our security guards?"

Before Gouzi could answer, Long Fei chimed in with a smile, "I told him to hit them. Who asked them to look down on people? Tell me, what right does your club have to bar us from entering?"

"Oh, is that so?" The middle-aged man turned his head and asked the three remaining guards who were about to leave.

"Well, manager, they didn't have membership cards, so we—" The guards looked at Gouzi and Tieniu with lingering fear, secretly thanking their lucky stars they hadn't been rash earlier; otherwise, instead of helping others walk, they'd be the ones needing assistance. Seeing the miserable state of their colleagues made them tremble.

Waving his hand to dismiss the three guards, the manager turned back and offered Long Fei a slight smile. "Ah, I sincerely apologize. Our club has strict regulations that require visitors to hold memberships before entering. If you wish to join, you can apply through the proper channels, or if you have a friend who is a member, they can bring you inside. That wouldn't be a problem at all."

"Oh, so that's how it is," Long Fei said, putting on a look of sudden realization.

The manager continued, "I assume the guards already informed you about the club's membership-only policy?"

"Mm, they mentioned it, I suppose," Long Fei nodded. That much was true; the guards had mentioned it before getting beaten, so he wasn't about to pin that falsehood on them.

"Then shouldn't this gentleman offer some explanation for assaulting our security personnel?" The manager's expression cooled.

Long Fei laughed. "What kind of explanation? With attitude like theirs, looking down on people, if I run into them again, I'll beat them again."

This statement was flagrantly arrogant. Not only had he beaten people up, but he was openly declaring his intention to do it again next time. It showed a complete lack of regard for the Chang'an Club.

Annoyed, the manager retorted, "Regardless of the circumstances, you need to account for this incident, or I won't be able to answer to my superiors. How about we wait for the police to resolve this?"

"Forget it. I'm here to have fun inside the club anyway. Whatever issues there are can wait until after I've had dinner, deal?" Long Fei was feeling rather hungry and had no desire to drag the confrontation out further. Although pedestrians on the street didn't dare come close, quite a few were still watching from a distance.

Long Fei wasn't foolish. This was Beijing, the capital of China. No matter how formidable he considered himself, he had no wish to invite unnecessary trouble right upon arrival. Venting his frustration was enough for now; as for the fun awaiting him inside, he would deal with it when the time came.

"I assume this gentleman's hearing is functioning properly? I've already explained clearly that entry to our club requires—"

Long Fei cut the manager off, "I *do* have a membership card, it's just that your men didn't give me a chance to take it out before showing us disrespect. That's why I had my man teach them a minor lesson. Don't worry about it, it's nothing fatal." As he spoke, Long Fei smiled and retrieved his membership card, handing it over.

When the manager caught sight of the card, he gave a start. The club only issued twenty such cards in total—this was a gold card, the highest tier available.

Looking back at Long Fei, though the face was unfamiliar, the manager's expression shifted to one of utmost reverence. With both hands, he returned the membership card to Long Fei and bowed deeply. "I am deeply sorry. I failed to properly supervise my subordinates, delayed your time, and caused you trouble. On behalf of the club, I express my sincerest apologies. Please accept my apologies."

Long Fei blinked, frowned, and muttered, "Hey, hey, hey. This is China, you're not Japanese, are you? Why do you keep bowing like that? I despise this particular custom—feels completely servile. Anyway, let's pretend this never happened. If you need me to cover their medical bills, just lump it into our bill when we check out later."

"No, no, no. You are far too generous, sir. Please, right this way." The manager stepped aside, swept his arm out in a sweeping gesture, and bowed low. The group of uniformed guards he had brought with him immediately split into two orderly rows, forming a welcoming formation as if greeting royalty.

Long Fei led the three of them through the corridor of guards, chuckling quietly to himself: *Damn, if they'd rolled out a red carpet, this would be even more swaggering, haha.*